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Westport fisherman Paul Leuvelink (right) dumps a half bushel of quahogs into the East Branch of the Westport River Friday afternoon. In all, he and other helpers deposited 71 bushels of necks.

Another transplanting season in books for Westport's 'Money Clam'

Some time next week, Chris Leonard and his crew of volunteer helpers will dump the last of this year's quahogs in the Westport River, continuing a propagation program that over the years has kept the … more

By Ted Hayes | 10/13/21

Sasha and Casey Jones are Ed Aldrich's constant companions.

Little Compton fund-raiser is for the birds, literally

Ed Aldrich isn't worried so much about himself as the cold weather approaches, but for his two long-time companions and best friends, Sasha and Casey Jones. Sasha is a former rescue bird, a … more

By Ted Hayes | 10/8/21

New state virtual learning academy growing

75 students from 10 districts across the state have signed up for the Rhode Island Connections Academy, an all-virtual school program. more

By Ethan Hartley | 10/7/21

Staff from the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) spent 90 minutes talking aquaculture before the Tiverton Harbor Commission Monday evening. Representatives included (from left) executive director Jeffrey Willis, deputy director James Boyd and aquaculture specialist Benjamin Goetsch.

CRMC, wary audience talk oyster farms in Tiverton

Representatives from the state's Coastal Resources Management Council got an earful Monday evening when they appeared before the Tiverton Harbor Commission to talk about the changing face of … more

By Ted Hayes | 10/6/21

A short term rental in Tiverton, from the Air BnB website.

Tiverton modifies proposed short term rentals ordinance

Head Tiverton council amends short term rentals plan Subhead Council continues work on short term rental ordinance; planning board to review prior to council … more

By Ruth Rasmussen | 9/29/21

Pennfield School eighth-grader Spencer Mazur works on a drawing during an outdoor art class.

These schools opened — and stayed opened

When The Pennfield School in Portsmouth recently held an assembly on their front lawn celebrating the 50th anniversary of the start of classes, students and staff, all masked and spread out, were … more

By Lucy Probert | 9/24/21

Whit Collier, atop his wingfoil, catches the wind as he heads out from Fogland last Wednesday. He made it as far as Sakonnet Point.

Foiled! Tiverton fund-raiser brings in $1,500 for alzheimer's research

If you happened to look out to the Sakonnet River between Fogland and Sakonnet Point last Wednesday, and spotted a strange-looking inflatable sail attached to a stubby elevated surfboard, with a … more

By Ted Hayes | 9/23/21

Jessica Szpila poses with a freshly-banded female Saltmarsh Sparrow, just before releasing her.

Saving the Saltmarsh Sparrow

The Saltmarsh Sparrow has nested in low-lying salt marshes in the Northeast for thousands of years. Climate change and rising sea levels now threaten their existence. more

By Ethan Hartley | 9/16/21

A conversation with the team behind Bristol Porchfest (PODCAST)

Host Kevin Centazzo, aka Kevin from Bristol, speaks with Bristol Porchfest Co-Chair Nancy Kellner and Co-Technical Director Joe Caron on the highly popular event coming to downtown Bristol this … more

9/15/21

A mute swan swims along the north shore of Briggs Marsh early Wednesday morning.

DEM calls off Little Compton swan hunt this year

The state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) cancelled this week its plan to euthanize an untold number of mute swans on Briggs Marsh, under a controversial state policy put in place 15 … more

By Ted Hayes | 8/20/21

Volunteers Holly Billings (left) and Helen Pereira inspect some of the fresh local produce available this past Saturday at the Little Compton Food Bank

Little Compton Food Bank busier than ever

By 10:30 this past Saturday, the volunteers at the Little Compton Food Bank had nearly exhausted the day's supply of fresh produce and fruit. It was a busy morning, with a steady stream of Tiverton … more

By Ted Hayes | 8/18/21

McKee stops short of mandating masks in Rhode Island schools

PROVIDENCE — Governor Dan McKee, following up on updated recommendations made earlier this week by the Centers of Disease Control as the “Delta” variant of the coronavirus has … more

By Mike Rego | 7/29/21

Tim Palmer in the garage with one of his Mean Green electric riding mowers.

The sound of (near) silence — Tim’s Lawn Care goes electric

WESTPORT — Ah, the sweet sounds of summer — birds chirping, children at play and the Friday evening din of the lawn care company’s stand-on mowers and 80-decibel backpack blowers … more

By Bruce Burdett | 7/23/21

Bruce Burdett at a patio table outside his Bristol home, where he often works. The editor of The Sakonnet Times and Westport Shorelines is retiring this week after 45 years with East Bay Newspapers. “There’s something in all of us that likes to tell people stories, and this was my way to be able to do it,” he said.

After 5 decades in journalism, Bruce Burdett's hanging up his notebook

When Bruce Burdett first arrived in Bristol to start his new job at East Bay Newspapers in the mid-’70s, he was just two years out of college with only minimal experience working for his school … more

By Jim McGaw | 7/22/21

Tiverton man charged with child molestation after missing Pennsylvania girl found

TIVERTON — A Tiverton man faces a charge of first degree child molestation sexual assault after a missing Pennsylvania girl was found at a Tiverton home on Wednesday, July 7. Tiverton Police … more

By Bruce Burdett | 7/15/21

Jeremy Howard poses with Harper Oates, the inspiration for The Play Brigade, alongside the ‘Fearless Girl’ statue in New York City. The statue originally faced the “Bull of Wall Street statue and children often climbed up to pose for pictures with the girl. When Harper first visited she was unable to because of the raised plinth. Her mother was instrumental in advocating for the statue to be repositioned at ground level when it was later moved across the street from the NYSE. This picture was taken at the conclusion of the Fearless Girl relay that Ms. Oates organized.

Little Compton man tackles The Long Trail — at double time

LITTLE COMPTON — On or about June 20, the plan was for Little Compton ultramarathon runner Jeremy Howard to get himself to the village of North Troy, Vt., on the Canadian border. There, at … more

Bruce Burdett | 6/24/21

Max Julian tends a net from the bow of one of the work boats as the Maria Mendonsa circles in the background on a murky morning.

Family, friends mourn student/fisherman

LITTLE COMPTON — At 22 years old, Little Compton resident Maximus Julian was about to graduate … more

Bruce Burdett | 6/11/21

Couple and realtor signing papers for new house

The buying frenzy — and frustration — continue

Your company just announced that your division is being relocated from the Midwest headquarters to the East Coast. In fact, your new office is situated in Rhode Island — home to beautiful … more

By Josh Bickford | 5/20/21

Do you take cash?

Here’s a new phenomenon in the local real estate market. An increasing number of buyers are offering to pay cash for properties. Does that mean they actually bring a suitcase of Benjamins to … more

By Scott Pickering | 5/20/21

Chris Iseleib and his wife, Ann Marie, moved from the Washington, D.C. area to Barrington, buying a million-dollar house that they saw only on Zoom. Located off Nayatt Road and close to the water, it is more than 100 years old and comes with a unique stone gazebo.

Urban buyers have been moving out to the 'country'

It’s been just over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, shaking up lives around the globe. One phenomenon now becoming a trend is the mass exodus from cities to more rural … more

By Joan D. Warren | 4/30/21

Houses at Westport Harbor ... Residences here are served by a couple of small water companies that are facing varying challenges, including failing wells and leaking water pipes.

Salt water overtakes Westport Harbor wells

WESTPORT — With salt water overwhelming their existing water supply, some Westport Harbor homeowners have embarked on a search for someplace new to drill wells. Their plight, and the … more

By Bruce Burdett | 4/23/21

Douglas Casey of Douglas Casey Carpentry, Little Compton, marks a board for sawing last month at the Arch Contemporary Ceramics building located at 18 East Road, Tiverton Four Corners. The building permit was granted before the Planning Board was allowed to weigh in on the design, as is supposed to happen.

Four Corners flap: Potter’s permit issued without design review; planners now plead for changes

TIVERTON — A step skipped in the town permitting process has created a mess for both a Tiverton Four Corners building project and town efforts to protect more

By Bruce Burdett | 4/23/21

For buyers, the competition is tougher than ever

Across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the residential real estate market, and Rhode Island’s real estate market shifted with it. According to State-Wide … more

By Sam Tavares | 4/7/21

The Tiverton town council voted 5-2 to extend the casino gaming revenue ordinance one more year, now expiring on June 30, 2022, during their March 8 meeting.

Casino revenue move sparks Tiverton council friction

TIVERTON - A discussion about removing the sunset clause from the town's casino gaming revenue ordinance ended in shouting amongst town council members during their regular virtual meeting of Monday, … more

By Kristen Ray | 3/18/21

Speaker of the House Joseph Shekarchi (yellow box) talks to a group of fellow legislators and Bristol County business leaders in a Zoom meeting held Friday morning. The speaker strongly urged all Rhode Islanders — including the business community — to speak up and lobby for their opinions to be heard.

Speaker Shekarchi: Rhode Islanders need to speak up

Rhode Island Speaker of the House Joseph Shekarchi has a message for Rhode Islanders: If you have something to say, say it. Mr. Shekarchi met with a group from the East Bay Chamber of Commerce … more

By Scott Pickering | 2/26/21